Violin



- (No Model.)

, J. KOPP VIOLIN.

No. 431,722. Patented July 8, 1890.

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Zfiarnay UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN KOPP, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

VIOLIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,722, dated July 8, 1890.

Application filed October 9, 1889. Serial No. 326,414. (No model.) i

and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Violins, of which the following is a specification.

The several features of my invention and the various advantages arising from their use conjointly or otherwise will be apparent from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a violin embodying my improvements and havin the top removed to show the invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the under or inside surface of the separable top of my violin. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a completed violin, showing my improvements and taken at the line x tr of Fig. 1. Fig. 4is an enlarged viewin crosssection of the joint between the top and side of the violin.

In repairing violins it frequently becomes necessary to remove the top. In this operation the instrument is always damaged to a greater or less extent and is usually modified in tone. To provide a violin with a separable top has been the object of my invention.

The top A is provided on its under surface with the flange a, which is made to fit snugly within the sides of the instrument. IVhen this flange alone is provided, the top may be secured to the rest of the body, and the press- 11 re of the flange against the sides, especially when the strings are tightened, is sufficient to hold the top in place. The instrument so made, however, is not satisfactory in tone because of a rattling of the flange against the sides. To prevent this, I preferably provided the bracket B, which is attached to the sides of the instrument and extends around the greater part or all of the sides, as shown in Fig. 1. This flange is provided with the upturned lip I), which forms between itself and the sides of the instrument the groove 1), into which the flange a rests when the top is put in place. The flange a, fitting tight within the groove b,is prevented from rattling. To more certainly check rattling, I preferably line both sides of the groove 1) with a cork lining c. This cork lining is a thin layer of cork, which is applied on one side of the groove to the lip 12, and on the other side a similar is required to hold the parts together.

thin layer of cork is used to face the side of the violin where it forms one of the walls of the groove b. I also preferably face the top of the sides with a layer of cork c, which intervening between the top A and the-sides of the violin acts to restrain any rattling which might occur in this position.

\Vhen the top is put on, the flange a rests in the groove 1), and all parts being made to fit snugly'no glue or other form of fastening The stringing of the violin, of course, acts as an additional means for holding the top in place. \Vhen it becomes n eeessary to remove the top, it can readily be separated from the sides by inserting a sharp knife or other suitable instrument between the top and the sides, when the top may be readily lifted from its place.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a violin and a separable top provided with a downwardly-projecting flange fitting within the sides of the instrument, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of a violin-body having a bracket projecting from its sides internally, an upwardly-projecting lip from the bracket, and a top having a flange adapted to fit the groove between the bracket-lip and the sides of the instrrunent, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

The combination of a violin-body having a bracket projecting from its sides internally, an upwardly-projecting lip from the bracket, forming agroove between itself and the sides of the violin, cork facing on-the sides of the said groove, and a top having a flange adapted to fit the said groove, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination of a violin-body having a bracket proj ccting from its sides internally, an upwardlyprojecting lip from the bracket, forming a groove between itself and the sides of the violin, cork facing on the sides of the said groove, cork facing on the top of the sides, and a top having a flange adapted to fit the said groove, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

JOHN KOPP. Attest:

CHAS. L. Bee-LE, G. A. W. PAVER. 

